Communication systems exist that can support variable data rate by dynamically selecting the best modulation and coding scheme to compensate for channel condition variation and/or upper layer requirement changes. Such systems can implement Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC). Exemplary systems include 3G cellular system (3GPP), IEEE 802.11, and WiMedia's multiband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MBOFDM) ultra wideband (UWB) system.
Low power consumption is often desirable, and sometimes mandatory, for communication devices. However, communication devices, such as transceivers, are typically designed to support the maximum throughput that the communication system can achieve This requirement for high speed (i.e., high data rate) communication can result in design choices that make optimization of power consumption difficult to achieve. Accordingly, what is needed arc techniques that enable reduction of transceiver power consumption in packet-based data communication systems.